The Choir: Unsung Town

Gareth Malone heads to South Oxhey for the very first time, and finds a divided community struggling to shake off a poor reputation that stretches back decades. Most local people agree that the area is in desperate need of a boost, but few think that a choir is the answer. Gareth scours the area looking for recruits, and his persistence pays off. When the date of the first rehearsal comes around, everyone is astounded by the turnout.

Gareth secures an opportunity for his new choir to perform at Watford Colosseum. Aware of the estate's poor reputation, Gareth feels it's absolutely vital that they make a good impression. The choir get to work on new repertoire straight away but soon run into problems when the number of men in the choir begins to fall away. Meanwhile, Gareth sets to work recruiting for the area's first ever children's choir.

Both the adult and children's choirs now have successful performances under their belts, so Gareth decides it's time to raise the bar and set them a challenge that will make or break them. He wants both choirs to be able to tackle demanding classical music, and to sing in Latin! He also enlists the help of a local boxer to set up a male voice choir, hoping to include singers whose social life is normally built around sport and pubs.

It's now time for Gareth to realise his overall vision for a single, grand South Oxhey choir. As the culmination of his 9-month project Gareth decides to stage a choral Festival in South Oxhey itself, which he hopes will attract an audience of thousands from both the estate and the surrounding towns. Has Gareth finally convinced South Oxhey of the value of it's choir?